Robert Samuelson on Health Care

http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2010/03/robert-samuelson-on-health-care

Robert Samuelson on ObamaCare, which he calls "the illusion of reform.":

How often, for example, have you heard the emergency-room argument? The uninsured, it's said, use emergency rooms for primary care. That's expensive and ineffective. Once they're insured, they'll have regular doctors. Care will improve; costs will decline. Everyone wins. Great argument. Unfortunately, it's untrue.

A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that the insured accounted for 83 percent of emergency room visits, reflecting their share of the population. After Massachusetts adopted universal insurance, emergency room use remained higher than the national average, reports an Urban Institute study. More than two-fifths of visits represented non-emergencies. Adult respondents to a survey said it was "more convenient" to go to the emergency room or they couldn't "get (a doctor's) appointment as soon as needed." If universal coverage makes appointments harder to get, emergency room use may increase.

There are other interesting points in the column, too. Link via Carpe Diem.

by Editor  |  Mar 16, 2010 at 5:42 pm Related Topics:  Health Care, Press receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free futureofcapitalism.com mailing list